As I was posting the CPR article from 1965 about the One Spot Car Shop at Agincourt Yard, I came upon this handy 5 by 7 inch book again.
The book was owned by an employee of the CNR carshops at London, Ontario. It was published by the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen of America in 1940 and this is a 1954 reprint.
Considering the multiple publications of company rules produced for employees by US railroads, and publications from organizations such as the Association of American Railroads, it was the author's intention to bring as much information as possible on car inspection into a single publication. As a matter of course, he suggests that in the case of a disagreement with this book, the official publication should be followed.
You may recognize the author, as Simmons-Boardman published a number of books of CM Drennan's Chalk Talks. These were grouped by broad air brake subject into books, and printed in a 'white on black' format to suggest how a chalkboard diagram of a brake system could be set up for an instruction class.
The first section I have reproduced is a helpful compilation of AAR rules pertaining to terminal tests, inspections of air brakes, and other related items.
Early in life, I was told that the engineer of the leading engine (in a steam motive power consist) handled the whistling and controlled the brakes.
The trailing units in diesel consists 'in a standard MU configuration' would contribute the output of their powerful compressors to the charging of a trainline.
Rule 22 (above): ... But I had never thought of the arrangement when multiple steam locomotives operated together - from the standpoint of the air compressors. I think that the steam-driven air compressors were probably regulated by a relatively simple high pressure steam valve (resembling an outdoor garden hose valve). I just had never thought of this arrangement on the trailing locomotives before reading this passage.
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Air Brake History
While I've gone through Drennan's Chalk Talks on K (older) and AB brakes, I didn't remember the particular names of the last two types and I didn't want to take the time to pull out and leaf through the Chalk Talks.
My first AI search of them led to a diplomatic suggestion that these types may have been 'misremembered' as they were not found in any 'old catalogue', etc. However, a day later, the AI seemed to have a nodding acquaintance with them. On the second try, I just submitted the brake system name.
There are probably few areas of railway industrial history as rich in detail as the design characteristics and operating features of various air brake systems. One needs a plan to stop a train before one sets it in motion. The operation of longer and longer trains was made possible through the advances in air brake technology because the momentum of trains must be kept under control at all times without harsh run-ins of slack.
In CTC territory, the dispatcher's suddenly revealed intention to stop a train at a particular location, over a path of approach with challenging grade characteristics, often required careful planning by the engineer ... and the expectation that the train's air brake system would respond in a reasonably predictable fashion.
With a timetable and train order system, an extra train's crew 'helping themselves over the subdivision' added the challenge of clearing other trains by a certain time ... to the stress of the engineer's hopeful expectations regarding the functioning of his air brake system on a given day.
... So there are many fascinating stories lost to history about engineers' experiences working with different locomotives and their brake systems, handling a wide variety of train consists, on a wide variety of subdivision profiles, under various traffic control systems, in all sorts of weather conditions.
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